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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.. R. B. HUNTER.

SCHOOL DESK AND SEAT. v No. 421,405. Patented Feb. 18, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. B. HUNTER. SCHOOL DESK AND SEAT. No. 421,405. Patented Feb. 1% 1890.

:zz tag UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. HUNTER, OF MATTAWVAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TOCARRIE L. BENTON, OF SAME PLACE.

SCHOOL DESK AND SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,405, dated February18, 1890. Application filed April 17, 1889- Serial No. 307,587. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mattawan, in the county of Van Buren and State of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in SchoolSeats and Desks, &c.,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to school seats and desks, church-seats, andsimilar furniture; and it has for its object to provide for theadjustment vertically of the seats and desks independently of each otherto any desired height.

WVith this end in View the invention consists in the combination, withsuitable supporting-sockets, of the desks and seats provided with shanksworking in the said sockets, and provided along their edges with teethor ratchets adapted to be engaged by pivoted arms or pawls, whereby theymaybe retained at their desired adjustment.

The invention further consists in certain improvements in the detailedconstruction of the desks and seats, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aschool desk and seat embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken transversely throughthe seat and desk adjoining one of the standardsor supports, which hasbeen partly broken away for the purpose of showing the construction moreclearly. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail View showing one end of the backof a seat and the adjacent part of the back of the desk. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal sectional View taken on line X X in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is adetail view showing the segmental bracket for supporting the desk-lidand the means for sustaining the same.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

A A designate the castings which form the base or support of thecombined school seat and desk. Said castings are provided along theirlower edges with flanges B, having per.- forations by means of whichthey may be secured to the floor in the desired position. Each of saidcastings further comprises a pair of vertical sockets C O, suitablyconbrackets G H. Between the forward brackets G'G the seat I is mounted'pivotally upon bolts J, which extend through the said brackets andthrough perforated lugs K, formed upon the seat-arms L, which areattached to the under side of the seat at the ends of the latter. Thebrackets are extended upwardly, as shown at N, for the attachment of theback 0.

The upper ends of the shanks F are pro vided with brackets P, to whichthe sides of the desks areattaohed in any suitable manner. To the sidesQ Q of the desk-frame is connected the back R, top S, bottom T, andfront strip U of the desk-frames. To the front edges of the top S arehinged the folding leaves or covers V V, the free edges of which may beprovided with locks for securing them to the front strip U, thus formingclosets or lockers in which books and other materials may be kept whilenot in use. The said lockers may be subdivided into suitablecompartments for the reception of such articles as slates, pencils,penholders, and the like. The edges of the foldingleaves or covers areprovided with segmental braces adapted to engage suitable catches, bymeans of which the said folding leaves may be retained when in a raisedposition.

The sides Q Q of the desk -frame are provided along their inner edgesand in rear of the back part of the desk-frame with vertical flanges WWV, which are provided with notches X X. The extensions N N of thebrackets H of the seat-frame are pro vided on their inner sides withlugs Y Y, adapted to enter the notches X, and provided with grooves Z,adapted to engage the fiangesWV. The brackets N have flanges a, thatengage rabbets b in the edges of the side pieces Q of the desk, so as toform a neat and closely-fit ting joint. It will be seenthat by thisconstruction the back of the seat may be connected with the deskframe insuch a manner as to be capable of sliding vertically with relationthereto. It follows that the desk and the seat may be adjustedvertically with relation to each other and without separating the two orweakening the connection between them.

The shanks E and F are provided on their inner edges with teeth orratchets 0, adapted to be engaged by the ratchet-bars R pivoted to theinner sides of the sockets G O, and having arms cl, extending throughslots 6 in the sockets O C, so as to engage the said ratchets. Pivotedintermediately between the arms cl cl is a lever or turn-button havingbeveled ends adapted to engage flanges g at the inner ends of the saidarms cl, thus causing the ratchet-bars R to be simultaneously forcedinto engagement with the ratchets of the shanks E and F of the seat anddesk frames, respectively.

The operation of this invention and its advantages will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with thedrawings hereto annexed. It will be seen that when the lever orturn-button is released from engagement with the arms d (Z theratchet-bars B may be withdrawn from engagement with the teeth orratchet of the shanks E F, and the seat and desk may be readily adjustedindependently of each other to any desired height. \Vhen the desiredadjustment has been made, the turn-button or lever is thrown intoengagement with the arms of the ratchet-bars, which latter arethusthrown in to engagement with the ratehets of the shanks E and Iwhich are thus, with their attachments, retained in the desiredposition. The construction is simple and inexpensive, and the desks, asherein described, furnish lockers in which the school-books and othermaterials may be kept safe from loss or from injury by dust, mice orother Vermin.

The top of the desk is provided with recesses h, thickly padded withfelt or other suitable material, as shown at i, for the reception of theink-wells j, which are retained in the said recesses by means ofperforated covering-plates 70. By this construction the inkis preventedfrom freezing and is also prevented from being carelessly spilled orupset.

The principles of my invention, so far as the adjustability of the seatis concerned, may be advantageously applied to seats in churches andother public halls, the modifications necessary for the adaptation tosuch purposes being only such as will readily suggest themselves to theskillful artisan.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of thecastings having sockets formed therein and slots communicating with saidsockets, the ratchet-bars pivoted in said sockets and having the flangedarms d extending through the slots therein, the levers or turn-buttonspivoted to the castings between said arms and having beveled ends toengage the flanges thereon to force the pivoted ratchet-bars in oppositedirections, and the seat and desk frames having shanks extending intosaid sockets and provided with teeth or ratchets to engage the pivotedratchet-bars, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the vertically-adjustable seat-frame having theback 0, provided with flanges aand grooved lugs Y, with theindependently vertical adjustable deskframe having notched flanges NVand rabbets b, said grooved lugs Y being adapted to engage and slideupon the notched flanges WV, and thereby hold the parts together adjustably, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atliXedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ROBERT E. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

A. T. ANDERSON, J. D. MONROE.

